Stepping Into A Respected Photographer's Shoes Surrounded By Heavy Metal History

Getting a call to step into a role left behind by a respected photographer is never just another job, it carries weight. When Armadillo Enterprises, the parent company of DDrum and Dean Guitars, reached out, the situation was exactly that. Their longtime photographer had unfortunately passed away during the process of a major project, and they had been searching for someone who could match both the technical precision and visual consistency of his work.

The assignment was clear: several drum kits had arrived that needed to be photographed for Guitar Center... clean, high-end studio images with precise cutouts for advertising and product listings. The challenge wasn’t just capturing the kits; it was replicating a look that had already been established and expected across their brand.

Stepping into their in-house studio, it immediately became about discipline and detail: lighting ratios, reflections on hardware, tonal balance across finishes, and ensuring every edge was clean enough for seamless cutouts. This is where foundational training really matters. Back in college, studying under Barton Gilmore at St. Petersburg College and USF, we were pushed beyond just taking photos... we were taught to reverse-engineer them. One assignment that stuck with me was going into bookstores, analyzing magazine covers, and recreating the lighting setups from scratch. That mindset? Breaking down light and rebuilding it with intention. It came full circle on this project.

In total, we photographed four drum kits, each with its own unique finish and personality, while maintaining a consistent, polished look across the set. The final images delivered exactly what the company needed: clean, sharp, production-ready visuals that aligned with their established brand.

It was an honor to contribute to a legacy project under difficult circumstances and to bring a level of precision and respect that the work deserved.